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Monday, October 29, 2018

Hokkaido Milk Bread is given a whole wheat twist in this recipe, which stays incredibly soft and moist thanks to lots of cream, milk and eggs!

I love making bread, and it's no secret that I love trying new recipes almost every time I bake it. I've always been tantalized by Hokkaido style bread because of it's impossibly soft and tender texture, but the effort that goes into making the tangzhong (not much I know) just put me off of it. Bread making tome is supposed to be cathartic and by feel, not fussy about temperatures. Anyways, I finally came across a straight-dough Hokkaido bread that maintains it's super-soft texture thanks to a multitude of cream and milk, and decided to adapt it to a whole wheat version since that's what we eat around here!

In addition to boosting the fibre (and flavour) of my loaves with whole wheat flour, I also filled each of the "rolls" in the loaf with sesame seeds for added crunch! What dough I had left over (it made just a bit too much for my loaf pans) I filled with cinnamon and sugar instead of sesame seeds for a sweet treat. Like everything I bake, the rolls are perfect sharing, and to pass them on I used a lovely "giving plate" that I received from the people at Precious Moments.

The script on the plate is gorgeous and is a lovely poem in itself:

“Celebrate life’s precious moments with FAMILY and FRIENDS

Enjoy the gifts on this plate and the LOVE it sends

To make sure the GIVING never ends

Fill it up pass it on and watch how JOY transcends!”

In addition, the slightly beveled edge keeps treats on the plate without unduly tilting them, which is great for frosted cupcakes or round items like truffles. On the back is an inscription detailing how the plate is helping the community (see below). It would make a wonderful housewarming or hostess gift and is meant to be passed from person to person. I'm looking forward to seeing where this plate travels to!

From Precious Moments:

This year, with the Precious Moments Giving Plate, start a new holiday tradition that will last for many years to come. A giving plate is filled with goodies and given as a gift to a friend or family member. But this is just the start of the journey because the recipient then refills the plate and gives it to yet another friend. As the plate travels from home to home between family and friends, blessings are shared again and again. In a way, the beautiful journey of a giving plate never really ends.

Along with the heartwarming feelings inspired by the giving plate, the pure joy of charitable giving will inspire your loved ones each and every time they exchange this beautiful gift. From July 15, 2018 through December 31, 2020, Precious Moments will donate 5% of the sales price of each Giving Plate to Feed the Children. These donations are used to help eradicate childhood hunger and create a healthy foundation for children and families to break the cycle of poverty.

Combine flours, yeast, milk powder, sugar and salt in a bowl and whisk to combine.

Add the eggs, milk and whipping cream, mixing with the paddle on a stand mixer or with a sturdy spoon.

Cover and let rest 30 minutes.

Replace the paddle with the dough hook and knead on low speed for 15 minutes. Dough should be soft and slightly sticky but not wet.

Place in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise 1 1/2 hours, until doubled

Punch down and divide in 8 (for two loaves) or 12 (for loaves + buns)

Roll out one portion into a thin, long rectangle (about as wide as your loaf pan). Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired.

Roll up from one short end and place in the greased loaf pan. Repeat with remaining dough, fitting 4 rolls into each pan. For cinnamon rolls, sprinkle rectangles with sugar and cinnamon, then roll up and place in jumbo muffin tins.